


Can You Hear Me?

by ramblesandshambles



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-04-26 10:54:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5001982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merle and Andrea are both addicted to Farmtown on facebook. A bit of a plot twist, lets see how this all works out shall we?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merle and Andrea, addicted to facebook games. I don't know why they are, there is a little plot twist. Hope you enjoy something or a different ship.

Andrea stomped her foot on the floor and called out her daughters name and she didn't turn around. She kept playing with her pony's and making them bounce around the coffee table, she was happy enough playing with toys, tomorrow she would be going to her new school. Andrea was looking forward to it but McKenna was worried that she might not fit in or not know enough signs to make friends.

She sighed, they told her that it wasn't going to last forever she could get her hearing back. Could, would, should, all words that had been passed around over and over amongst the doctors and surgeons and the person who had told her her daughter could no longer hear like she used too. It could get better, she should get some hearing back and she would be able to live perfectly happy with the limited hearing and just muck on with it. Andrea was more concerned that what would she do if she lost even more hearing and McKenna was left with scilence, Andrea didn't want that for her, so they packed up and moved.

She could hear her face to face only if Andrea shouted at her but now she was struggling to communicate with her daughter. Everything had gone wrong a few months ago when McKenna got really sick and her ears drums burst and her temperature spiked then all of a sudden McKenna lost over seventy percent of her hearing. 

Andrea looked at the signs around round apartment they were staying in, it was dirt cheap and you could tell. She stood there for a moment going through the alphabet with her fingers. Then she hit a app on her phone and typed in the word she needed. Dinner... it was so simple yet both of them were struggling to even complete new tasks. They moved towns also, moved states. They moved because of schools, McKenna now was going to go to a mixed school with hearing and non hearing children because they would teach her sign language and they would also help McKenna succeed long term. 

Her ex who only saw McKenna once a month if she was lucky, he had told her he didn't want a kid that was defective, so she had no reason to stay anywhere and decided to take the option that presented itself to her. Move, quit her job for a while and help McKenna. She had savings, she had the money from the sale of the joint home she used to own and now she had to make things better for McKenna. Better for her.

She'd been in contact with the principle of the new school and tomorrow they would be meeting with the counselor to help McKenna's transition. Andrea just was hoping that she wouldn't just shut down like she normally did and would let everyone know her needs. Getting out the door would be the key thing for tomorrow. 

Andrea managed to get her daughter through dinner talking to each other a the table. Andrea was almost yelling at her daughter, hearing aids would be ready in a week and hopefully they would  make a huge difference for her. She helped her shower, and washed her hair. She helped her into her boxers and tee shirt, no frilly pajama's for McKenna she would just toss them on the floor. 

She walked back into the kitchen and opened up her laptop and set herself up a new facebook account. She did have one but even though her ex didn't want to see McKenna anymore he still harassed her online. So she made a new account and she only had five friends on it. Five friends who hated her ex's guts who would never ever give it over to him. But most of all she missed a couple of her online friends that she met through playing games. She went through all the motions of sorting out a new facebook and then she searched her games. 

Leaving the other profile meant that she lost all her usual games. The only game she wanted to see was farmtown and the only online friend she was looking for right now was the one she'd been friends with for some time now who'd talked her through her divorce and offered friendly banter and jokes back and forwards between them. Some online flirting because she missed him. She been missing him because she only been checking in once or twice a day leaving him notes because they kept missing each other because she was busy with McKenna and she hadn't even told him how her life had been flipped upside down in the past month. She did drop him a note to say she was shifting to Georgia, the general area she was moving. She had a brief reply a few days ago and she wanted to touch base with him again. She didn't know why, he was just a good friend to have.

He seemed to play a lot of games as she did and all his characters had the same name. Digby, she loaded farmtown. They were not facebook friends but she would often see him popping into her farm, they hired each other every time they saw their characters on the screen and now she wanted to see if she could find him again. She had to find him again, she didn't even tell him she was deactivating her old facebook account, all her games would just be deleted and he wouldn't know why.

She looked around at the bare small farm she now had. She was sad about it, it was strange, she knew she was addicted to online games. It was her thing that she did night after night talking with strangers from around the world. She walked her character about and then headed off to the town of the game to see if she could find her friend Digby. He was at the bar talking to other characters when she finally found him.

 _"Hi Digby, its me,"_ Andrea typed in to the computer to get his attention, his character turned around looking at hers.

_"Who?"_

_"Handy Andy... new profile." S_ he typed in, she smiled because he was trusting her, but then who else would come up to him telling him that it was her or not.

_"Meet me at my farm."_

_"K"_

She followed him back to his farm, she laughed as she landed on top on him, he walked away and turned around looking at her character on the screen. He started talking.

_Where were you,_

_I had to delete my other account - sorry_ Handy Andy.

 _Can I  buy you a beer?_ Digby

 _Lol, let me plow your fields, I lost everything and my old farm is gone._ Handy Andy

 _You playing fishtown too?_ Digby

 _No, I just,_ Handy Andy

 _Just what?_ Digby

 _Wanted to talk._ Handy Andy

 _Yeah, did you leave your husband? You didn't shift with him did you >? _Digby

 _No! God no! I'm totally sworn off men... forever,  thankyou ._ Handy Andy

 _Gee thanks... I was going to ask you to come up and look at my flowers, we could take a stroll, but I need someone to plow my fields if you want too._ Digby

 _Yeah, this sucks, I don't know if I can be bothered starting my farm up again._ Handy Andy

 _I missed you, it sounds stupid but I was wondering where you were, glad you are back._ Digby

 _I'm not going anywhere, I'll just come hang out for a bit. What have you been doing,_ Handy Andy

 _Working. Nothing exciting at all happens anymore. I barely go out anywhere._ Digby

 _I'm still unpacking, my daughters asleep finally._ Handy Andy

  _Nice, best time of the evening, how old is she again?_ Digby, they talked for another hour online before they said goodnight and they would catch up again tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Andrea arrived home from dropping McKenna off at school. It had been a rough morning because she didn't want her to go. In the end she left her playing with another little girl the teacher paired her up with. The other little girl was hearing and was trying to learn sign by her observations. It was a big step for her, all her fears come to the surface because what if McKenna needed to go to the toilet and couldn't get her point across or had no one to sit with at lunch time. Andrea knew she had been overthinking it because McKenna knew how to ask for the toilet. Andrea made her practise the sign over and over. She also knew how to call her mother and to push the button's on the phone over and over ever three seconds so her mother would know it was her calling. She also told McKenna just to talk into the phone after counting to twenty if she needed to call and she would come to the school. It was nerve racking because they were going into a situation where neither of them knew what to expect.

She thought she might be sick with worry not having her daughter close by to protect her. The school assured her they would ring if there was even the slightest of problems. It was worse than the first day she dropped her off at school. At least on her first day of school McKenna could communicate and could talk and listen to her friends. Now she had to try make new friends.

Andrea didn't cry until she made it out to the car park. Then she sat in her car and cried and cried. She then went to the store and brought some ingredients to make some cupcakes while she was at school. She promised the park and she would make a picnic for them for afternoon tea. Hopefully they both would have a good day.

Andrea put her butter and sugar into her cake mixer and turned on her computor and went to farmtown to see if she had any messages and she did have one extremely long joke from Digby. She snorted when she read it. It was like he read her mind after she told him her little girl was starting a new school today. She hadn't quite told him all the problems with her yet, she would when she had time to get her own head around things. She couldn't really work out her feeling for the stranger at the other end of the computer, she wasn't even sure where he lived. But she was starting to get feelings and she wanted to talk to him online every day. When she had her phone sorted out she had told him she would give him her number and he could call her. He hadn't agreed to that which made her think maybe he was just happy to have someone to shoot the breeze with online sometimes. 

 

Hey babe, I'm working late tomorrow, I'm not going to be online, I was reading this thought you might like the laugh. Digby.

 

_"A little old lady went into the headquarters of the Bank of America one day, carrying a large bag of money. She insisted that she must speak with the president of the bank to open a savings account because, "It's a lot of money!"_

_The receptionist objected, stating, "You can't just walk in here and expect to see the president of the Bank of America. He's a very busy man."_

_"But I am here to make a very large cash deposit, added the old woman._

_The receptionist momentarily looked at the sack of money, then walked back to one of the rear offices. She came back and said, "You're in luck this morning, he will see you," and ushered her in to see the president of the Bank of America._  
_When she walked in to a large office with a nicely tailored man behind a great oaken desk. The bank president stood up and asked, "How can I help you?"_

_She replied, "I would like to open a savings account, and placed the bag of money on his desk._

_"How much would you like to deposit?" he asked curiously._  
_"$180,000, if you please," and dumped the cash out of her bag onto his desk._

_The President was surprised to see all this cash, so he asked her, "Ma'am, I'm surprised you're carrying so much cash around, especially a woman at your stage in life. Where did you come by this kind of money?"_

_The old lady coyly replied, "I make bets." Surprised, the president then asked, "Bets?_

_What kind of bets?" The old woman said,_

_"Well, for example. I'll bet you $25,000 that your balls are square."_

  
_"What?!" cried the man, "you want to bet me $25,000 that my balls, my testicles, are square?" He could hardly hold back from laughing._

_"Yes, you heard me. In fact, by ten o'clock tomorrow morning, I'll bet you $25,000 that your balls will be square."_

_The man smiled broadly, thinking he had a live one. "You've got yourself a bet!" and shook her hand._

_The little old lady then said, "Okay, but since there is a lot of money involved, may I bring my lawyer with me tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. as a witness?"_

_"Sure!" replied the confident president._  
_That night, the president got very nervous about the bet and spent a long time in front of a mirror checking his balls, turning from side to side, again and again. He thoroughly checked them out until he was sure that there was absolutely no way his balls were square and that he would win the bet._

_The next morning, at precisely 10:00 a.m., the little old lady appeared with her lawyer at the president's office. She introduced the lawyer to the president and repeated the bet:_  
_"$25,000 says the president's balls are square!"_

_The president agreed with the bet again and the old lady asked him to drop his pants so they could all see. The president complied._

_The little old lady peered closely at his balls and then asked if she could feel them._

_"Well, Okay," said the president, obviously embarrassed. Thinking to himself, "$25,000 is a lot of money, I guess it's okay." He then said._

_Yes, $25,000 is a lot of money, so I guess you should be absolutely sure."_

_As the old woman started to feel the banker's testicles, he noticed that the lawyer was quietly banging his head against the wall._  
_The president asked the old lady, "What the hell's the matter with your lawyer?"_

_The old lady replied, "Nothing, except I bet him $100,000 that at 10:00 a.m. today, I'd have the balls of the president of the Bank of America in my hands."_

 

Andrea leaned back on her chair with a huge grin on her face, he was a character this Digby, she had another suck day and he left her a note on her farm town. She took a sip of her coffee and typed in a reply about the joke he had sent her. It was funny as hell. She wondered where he found it. She quickly filled him in that yes her daughter did start school ok today. If he wanted too they could exchange numbers and she could fill him in about everything. Maybe eventually move on with their friendship. She put it in quotations. She stared at the screen, she deleted and back spaced and started again. 

_Maybe we should exchange phone numbers just in case I have to switch off this farm town or facebook? She typed in her cell phone number. You can text me yours if you want too, no pressure._

She hit send and then went about making up a picnic for the two of them for the afternoon.

 

***********************************************************

He wasn't obsessed, he wasn't. Merle had been working on car's at his and his brothers garage all day wondering how he could casually log into facebook and check his farm town. Check to see if she had gotten his message. He was still stressing out about her telling him he should call her. He was going to try sneak off and play the game. Not for crops but to see if he made her smile. He _now_ loved the internet because he could play games and talk to people without them looking at him funny, he could try be himself again. He played too many games, he didn't know if he was obbsessed or addicted but he was addicted to Handy Andy the women he'd been talking to for over six months on the internet.

He opened up his farm town and there was a message in the envelope it was from her. He was half way through reading it when a hand banged the desk, he looked up guilty at his brother. Daryl was looking at him with an amused look on his face.

"I'm just checking emails." He told him.

"Bullshit, I can hear the music for farmtown all the way into the pit," Daryl's hands flew over the words he was saying, Merle looked guilty. He forgot to hit the mute button, that caught him out more times than he could count.

"I was really checking mail on there... this girl... w...o...m...a...n..." Merle struggled with the words, slurring them and trying to sign them.  Signing the letters for woman because he didn't know the sign. He had a sign he could think of but cupping his chest like breasts wasn't a habit he wanted to get into.

Daryl pulled out his phone and tapped an app, he found the sign and they both looked at it. It wasn't a sign they had needed to use until now, Merle hadn't been interested in dating at all since he lost his hearing because he was struggling to keep up with things in general. Work, home, he'd had to move in with his brother when he first had his accident with his own little girl, but now he could sign. He and Daryl were no longer using a white board and a marker pen to talk. Daryl forced him to go to the sign language school to learn so they could still run their business.

Daryl had organised a babysitter for Autumn at nights to watch her while he and Merle went to night school to learn. The school in their down was the only one in the state that offered night classes to learn sign language. Merle had been resentful the first few times they had gone but he soon picked up signs and how to communicate with his daughter and his brother. On top of that Daryl had picked up the baby sitter and was knocking boots with her sometimes. But it was the times Daryl was over at his girlfriends place over night was the times that freaked him out. He taken to sleeping on the pull out trundler bed in Autumns room on those nights. He didn't want to have her calling out in the night looking for him and he couldn't hear her.e

They had adapted, they managed. Merle's daughter had asked to start a new school this term, one for hearing and non hearing children. She desperately wanted to learn to sign and learn to talk with her dad. So far Merle had been struggling with her and Daryl had been the middle man going between them. Merle had the signs for _I love you_ , he could also say the words, but he could never hear her again, or hear her giggles or her call out to him during the night. Sometimes he woke in the morning and she would just be curled up beside him during the night, and it worried him that she'd wandered through the house and he couldn't hear her, or he didn't know if she was calling for him. 

"Tell me about this woman?" Daryl signed, Merle clicked on her farmtown profile and pointed to the screen indicating that they played together, indicated that they talked a lot using the computer, clicked on messages and quickly scrolled through the hundreds of messages that had passed between them.

"Where does she live?" Daryl asked him.

"Just moved here... from... Denver." Merle spoke and signed to his brother, he was surprised with himself that he knew the sign for Denver, Daryl looked surprised too. Merle was cottoning on really quickly to more and more words than he knew he was. In the beginning Merle resented even trying, but Carol and Daryl made him. "She doesn't know I'm.... and I haven't told her I live in Atalanta."

"You should text her." Daryl signed, he pointed to the number. Merle nodded, he wasn't sure yet. What if she rejected him. He programmed the number into his phone anyway. "No get off the computer games and lets get some work done." Daryl signed. Merle just leaned back on the chair and laughed. Maybe he should text her, tell her, let her decide or maybe he was just happy having someone to chat to at night when he got lonely while his brother was out. TV was a bust. He couldn't keep up with the subtitles, Daryl had suggested online games but never dreaming Merle would end up chasing girls online playing games. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Andrea pulled up outside McKenna's new school, she'd been unhappy about the thought of her mum leaving her so Andrea stayed for as long as McKenna wanted her too. In the end she stayed for three hours and then headed back home to hang out for a while and worry about her. She waited until it was nearly pick up time until she headed into  the school. She looked around the car park seeing different parents make their way towards the school. 

The school had a pick up in class policy for the younger children. McKenna needed to be picked up from the classroom. She really hoped that she had a good day. She didn't know if she would handle it if she had been crying for her the whole day or not.

She climbed out of her car and glanced across the carpark at two hot guys heading towards the school. At first she hand them pinned as two gay guys but as she looked again as they drew closer she could see they were brothers. One was scowling and from the limited signs she knew he didn't want to go into the school the other was more upbet. They both were signing and talking so it was hard for Andrea to work out if any of them were deaf.

She found it fascinating to watch their hands move, she hoped that her daughter would soon find friends that could sign with her and play. They seemed to be having a good conversation about something without much trouble. No doubt they had been signing for years or something.\

Both men looked across at Andrea and one scowled more at her for staring and the other gave her a nod.

"Hello," Andrea signed. "My first .... day.... pick... up." Andrea stumbled through the signs.

"Hi, my hundredth day pick up but we are new at the school too and Merle doesn't like to come." Daryl signed and talked to Andrea. "Are you?....." He gestured towards the building and towards his ears, Merle watched the interaction. She was a good looking babe but he couldn't speak because he knew he slurred and his speech patterns were starting to change sometimes, he worked with a speech therapist once a week and he hated it.

"No... my little girl, McKenna," Andrea spoke and tried to sign, she spelt out McKenna's name. She didn't know what to do about her name yet she hoped someone would teach her how to come up with something for her name. "She's lost a great deal of her hearing," Andrea said quickly, Daryl nodded and Merle just stood there. "I'm sorry, I'm rude," She plunged her hand into her bag and pulled out her phone and started texting looking at Merle. She quickly typed in and turned her phone so he could read it.

_I'm so sorry, I'm really bad at signing I promise I'll keep trying,_

He nodded and said "Its ok... you can used the phone, I couldn't sign at all a year ago... Merle." He signed the sign for his name, he pointed to the other man. "Daryl." He signed it, Andrea tried to sign both the signs he made. Merle repeated them until she got it right. She was embarrassed and flusted trying to get them right, also he was kinda sexy and she was blushing like mad. She was going crazy or something standing outside the school blushing like a school girl talking to two men about going to pick up her daughter.

"Sorry," Andrea signed and gestured that they should all head inside to pick up the children. She followed the men into the building, _she really wasn't checking them out,_ she tried to tell herself that as she glanced down their backs and her gaze rested on their butts. Neither of them were wearing wedding rings, she blushed again as Merle looked over his shoulder at her and caught her staring at his arse. He seemed to know what she had been doing and she couldn't look away fast enough. She tried to pretend she wasn't but she knew by the tiny smirk on his face as he turned back to keep walking.

Both men were signing quickly between them. Andrea only recognized one sign and that was the sign hot. She felt like she was eve's dropping in a conversation but they didn't talk out loud they just moved their hands very very quickly like they might have been talking about her or something. Or may she was paranoid.

She ended up following them the whole way down to the classroom where she left McKenna that morning. She peeked in through the window that was one way and put her hand to her mouth seeing her little girl wrap her arms around another little girl to hug her. They both were signing like crazy. Andrea wasn't sure but she thought they were making up some signs themselves but they both were smiling like crazy. Talking non stop, Andrea knew that McKenna couldn't really hear that well but she was trying. 

She noticed the men quietly signing between each other. She knew enough signs to work out that they were excited because it was their little girl that was signing and playing with hers. More parents arrived, a buzzer went and lights flashed showing that it was the end of the day, Andrea opened the door and headed inside the class followed by other parents. McKenna ran for her mom and dragged her over to meet her friend.

"Autumn... my new friend... can we go play at the park?" McKenna tried to sign, Andrea had promise to take her to the park after school. Andrea glanced over at the brothers and could see Autumn talking one hundred miles an hour to the men. Carol couldn't work out who the father was. She was talking non stop about going to the park to Daryl and glancing at Merle as Daryl appeared to be signing what she was asking to his brother. Then Autumn made the sign for 'Daddy,' Merle bent down and scooped her up planting a kiss on her cheek holding her close. He carried her over to the teacher and signed briefly to find out about her day. Andrea turned back to talk to her daughter.

"I will ask... ok, " she tried to sign and McKenna's eye's dropped to Andrea's mouth. She went to talk to the teacher about McKenna's first day, she glanced up at Merle as he turned back towards her to head out the door, she signed "Wait... please." He stood back watching Andrea talk to the teacher without signing she talked quickly smiled and turned back towards Merle. 

She didn't know the sign but she knew the letters, "P...A...R...K?" she signed. "Now?" Andrea was flustered because McKenna and Autumn started jumping around holding hands around in a circle waiting for Merle to decide. He cast a glance back to his brother who shrugged.

"I got stuff to do but Merle.... you go with Andrea," Daryl made a waving sign down like flowing hair, he'd just named Andrea... or maybe Merle had. She'd seen him making that sign to Daryl as they walked towards the classroom, he'd also been using the sign for 'hot' Andrea blushed when she tried to remember the other signs the brothers used. They had been talking about her she quickly realized. She blushed. Merle finally nodded. He agreed to take her to the park.

Andrea left the school with McKenna promising to meet up with Merle and Autumn in ten minutes. Daryl told her that Merle would bring some coffee's over from the garage if they went to the park near their place. Andrea nodded and the next thing she knew she was going on a play date with the sexy deaf dude.

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Andrea walked at a slower pace than her child towards the swings in the play ground. She laughed when she could see Autumn doing the same thing to her dad from the other side of the play ground. He was pretty hot, no wedding band and she didn't know how to actually find out if he was actually married and didn't wear a wedding band or if he was single. She was going to put it out there that she was single but she did feel a little guilty the whole way to the park about her online friend. 

Digby hadn't replied to her suggestions that they call each other and talk, for all she knew he wouldn't be online until that night. She didn't know what to think. She was attracted to the man she met that afternoon but in the back of her mind she felt a strong connection to the man who talked her through her divorce over the past year. She wasn't cheating but she almost felt disloyal for going on a play date. _A play date._ It wasn't like anything was going to happen at the park. _It was a play date._ She just had to ignore the fact he was as sexy as fuck and had broad shoulders and a nice arse! _That was all._

She waved at him as the got closer, he held up a plastic bag that held cold drinks and was carrying a couple of take away coffee's Daryl told her he would grab. The garage was just along the street from the park and it also had a small multi stop store along side which also held inside a small coffee bar. Take away coffee's for weary traverlers had been one of Merle's best brain waves for getting more people to come to Dixon's a few years ago. Both Daryl and Merle could make a good coffee. It was run by staff but Daryl and Merle could always slip behind the counter to take what they needed. It was good also because they could also get their lunches in there also. Their home was next to the the garage and it all worked out quiet well. 

They had systems in place since Merle lost his hearing. A intercom of sorts was brought that come with its own set of flashing lights and a text type machine beside it so Daryl could type in any message that was needed to be sent. They made it work, lights flashed and the phone diverted to the garage and to the shop when Merle was home alone. There was no point it ringing there when he couldn't use it but he could use his cell phone for texting if it was needed.

They walked up close to each other then stopped and faced each other. Andrea smiled and glanced at his hand that both were holding coffees she reached out to take one. She signed 'thankyou,' he just nodded and tilted his head towards a table near where the girls were swinging on the swings. She followed him over. Taking a sip of her coffee and glancing down the back view of his body. Yes she needed to get laid or something. She needed to stop staring at his arse.

Andrea lifted up her picnic basket and started pulling out her treats. She had packed more than enough to share with Autumn and Merle. He sat down and put his coffee off to one side and watched her as she put out her food. She called out to Autumn to come for something to eat, Autumn signed for McKenna and both girls come close. Autumn climbed up onto her dad's knee.

"Dad's being shy uncle Daryl said he needs to get out of the house more and you are pretty," she told Andrea, Merle couldn't hear her speaking but Andrea's glance towards him as his daughter spoke he leaned around pulling her back so he could see her mouth.

"You better not be repeating what uncle Daryl says." He growled at her, Autumn nodded and signed 'yes.'. "You know the rules, no talking smack about daddy or you get a spanking." Merle flipped her over to pretend to smack her, the little girl giggle and squealed as he did so. He ended up tickling her side and pulling her back up to the sitting position because he was aware that she was getting close to his coffee and Andrea and McKenna looked a little worried that he might spank her until they realized he was joking.

"We don't spank her... I was joking," Merle said and signed to them, "She's a blabber mouth and turns her head so I can't see her talking." 

"Oh... my... " Andrea pulled out her phone she didn't know the signs and she didn't want to announce it in front of the girls. Merle reached out and gave them a cup cake each and pointed towards the small pond sending them down to take a little look so they could talk. He knew by the look on Andrea's face she didn't want to talk in front of the girls.

_My ex hit me once and tried to spank McKenna .... I'm divorced now. Because of that.... and he was a wanker._

She passed her phone to Merle he looked at it and nodded. He stood up and followed the girls back to the swings leaving her with her coffee. She watched as he pushed the girls on the swings, instead of standing behind them he pushed from the front so he could see their faces while he pushed in case they suddenly wanted off the swing. He wanted to keep an eye on them. He had enough pushing them and he walked back to the table, picked up his coffee took a sip, put his cup down and began speaking.

"Just me and Autumn, her mom left her at the hospital after she was born, didn't even know she was coming until that Autumn afternoon. Got a phone call from the hospital telling me she was there. Her mom left my name and number and suggested they ring me to see if I wanted her." Merle was signing and talking at the same time. Andrea's eyes were flying from his hands to his mouth watching him as he talked. "So I took one look at her, and told her she was stuck with me. Just me and her, my brother helped. Had a nanny kinda babysitter for a while too sometimes. Just took her to the shop in the beginning. Had her sleeping in the office then in a play pen when she wasn't at day care. Then Had my accident and lost my hearing."

Andrea listened and nodded to say she was following on. He was talking and signing making it look flawless, she was surprised he'd only been deaf a little over a year.

"Car accident..... head trauma, we do alright though, moved in with Daryl for a while ain't ever left again." Merle told her, he signed also even though she could hear him, he figured it would help her learn. "He just hit you the once?" he asked about her ex.

Andrea looked at him and shook her head. Merle looked agigatated, he stood up and started signing and speaking. 

"He still in the picture? You shouldn't let anyone near your little girl like that."

Andrea signed 'No, he's gone, he doesn't want.... ' Andrea glanced over to her daughter who was rolling around on the grass with Autumn. Andrea picked up her phone again.

_He was seeing her until he decided that it was far to hard having a defected child so we took our out and left. Come here to make a new beginnings._

"Can I take you out? Sometime to dinner or something?" Merle asked and signed to her, "A date?"

Andrea looked at his hands and heard his words, she nodded, she texted into her phone. 

_I'd like to but I don't have a sitter or anything. Maybe we could do something with the girls?_

"I can get you the sitter we use for Autumn.... we had another one but Daryl keeps fucking her." Merle signed. He put his hand over his mouth to stop his words coming out his mouth. "She's in college and works in the shop attached, she looks after Autumn when we get busy. She's got references as long as your arm," He signed and talked. 

"Ok, give me her number," Andrea told him. Merle reached into his backpocket pulling out his wallet. He put it on the table and dug through it coming out with a business card. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through the numbers he had saved. He wrote the number on the card and handed it to her.

"Tara?" Andrea asked.

"Tara," Merle made a sign which must have been her name. Andrea nodded.

"Your number?" Merle asked. 

Andrea signed the numbers to him by giving them one at a time. Merle typed in her name and hit save.

**Do you want to replace previously saved contact.**

**Handy Andy?**

"Fuck Me!" Merle stated, he turned his phone around to show her.

 

"

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

"You're Digby?" Andrea looked shocked, Merle was surprised, she typed the words into her phone and showed him. He nodded. They both just stared at each other and laughed. They knew each other and talked to each other every day for over a year, give or take a couple of days. Andrea shook her head, she'd been so worried about having feelings for this guy when she had her friend online and they were both the same person. "You are Digby... you are Digby." She said again getting her head around her thoughts. Her eyes dropped to his mouth, he was smiling but he was still in shock.

Andrea couldn't stop herself she reached out grabbing the front of his shirt pulling him towards her. If he was shocked or not he didn't let on, he seemed pretty happy about the whole new outcome of the play date. He didn't appear to want to run for the hills in fact he was checking her out appreciatively. His eye's gazed down her face and they stopped at her mouth. His arms went around her and they hugged.

He breathed her in, he couldn't believe it. She smelt like honey and cinnamon which was what she baked for the muffins that they had been eating. It was her, he tilted his head to see if she was doing anything, saying anything and she caught his lips with hers. His hand went up her back into her hair and he held her there, his hand had a gentle pressure that she could pull away if she wanted too. The way her tongue was going into his mouth showed him that she didn't want him to stop. In the back of his mind he thought he probably shouldn't be doing this in the park in front of his kid but he couldn't stop. Then he felt Andrea pull back and he looked about and saw two little girls with hands on hips glaring at them.

"Ew yuck... what are you doing?" Come a panic'd voice behind Andrea. 

"What are you doing to my daddy?" Come a matching horrified voice. 

Andrea giggled and pushed Merle away a tiny bit because his hard on was pressed up against her. She was shielding his body from prying eyes.

"Nothing. Sometimes adults kiss." Andrea told Autumn. Autumn didn't look convinced. McKenna was looking like her mom had gone lost her mind.

Merle was shifting from foot to foot wondering if he could explain his way out of the situation. He didn't, he just kissed her on her jaw and said quietly. "I'll text you, ok?" she waited for her to agree and she nodded. "Autumn time to go, say goodbye to Andrea and Mckenna." Merle let Andrea go, he waved to McKenna and winked at Carol. Signed 'Farmtown' and held his hand out for his daughter to take. 

Andrea watched them walk across the park. McKenna tugged her arm. "Mommy why you kiss him?" She tried to sign the words also.

 "Because.... because I wanted to, I don't know... I don't know..." She couldn't explain it, she just had to kiss him and she was surprised at her body's response to the man. Why did she throw herself at him like that. What the hell was she thinking. "Come, lets clean up." She started packing up the picnic and held McKenna's hand as they walked back to their car. She drove the long way home to check out where they lived. 

Merle and Daryl were standing outside the house and Autumn was playing with a dog in the yard, they both looked up at her car as she drove past. She gave them a wave and drove home to her shitty apartment. She resisted turning on her computer until she had her daughter through the bath. Then she could relax and turn on facebook and check out to see if Merle was online. Digby... Merle, her friend who she had for over a year now. 

 She was stalling she knew from turning on her laptop. She knew he would be waiting for her to turn up online like she did most nights. She was almost embarrassed the way she threw herself at him today. The way they forgot the girls were there. There definitely was a connection between them and she couldn't help thinking that they already did a great deal of basic's. She knew she liked him. He really liked her, she felt that pressing in her back when she turned to face her daughter this afternoon. She just hoped he didn't think she was easy or something. He might be one of those guys who didn't like women who kissed them first.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888

Across town Merle was getting grilled by his brother and his girlfriend about his little make out session in the park. You couldn't trust a seven year old little girl to keep anything a secret he knew, but he could shut his eyes and lean back on the chair instead of trying to keep up with all the flying signs his brother kept throwing out at him. Merle signed 'Enough!'

"Its not like I just threw her up against a tree or something." Merle talked and signed, Autumn was a blabber mouth and run right over to tell Daryl that her daddy was kissing McKenna's mommy like he kissed Carol, and was Andrea going to come for sleep overs too? Daryl's head whipped around at this news and wiped his hands on a towel and went to find his brother who was trying hard to look everywhere else but at his brother. Daryl couldn't believe what he was hearing because Merle had sworn off women because he couldn't hear them and they couldn't understand each other. Daryl had thought this would have been a bonus not being able to hear them bitch and moan but Merle become self conscious about it all.

"So you still haven't told us how you just managed to slip her the tongue?" Daryl signed, he winked at Carol who just shook her head knowing that Daryl was loving teasing Merle.

"Its her... Andrea's Handy Andy!"

"Who the fuck is Handy Andy?"

"The woman from farmtown... facebook... the phone number, remember I told you!" Merle signed, he was getting frustrated, he wanted to go online so he just walked across to the computer he turned it on, he just ignored Daryl by turning away from him. He thought the conversation was finished.

"Watch this." Daryl told Carol, he walked off to the kitchen and opened up his laptop, he cracked his knuckles. "Babe you have your laptop? Go onto facebook, lets have some fun, pm Tara and Michonne to go on too, I'll get Ty and Eugene, all go to farmtown."

"Daryl you can't, that's mean!" Carol scolded him.

"Its not mean, he made us all join farmtown a year ago so he could buy shit because he had to have friends back when he was Digby no friends, it just happens I feel like planting some grapes tonight!" Daryl told her, Carol snorted.

"You just want to cause trouble." Carol picked up the phone and called her friends and everyone went to farm town to watch Merle flirt with Andrea, they finally found Merle at his farm. All five of them showed up one on top of each other. Right in the middle of a flirty conversation between Merle and Andrea.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Digby walked over to the pile of his animated friends. "DARYL!" They heard Merle yell from the lounge. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Quick quick lets hide." Daryl laughed grabbing his laptop and running to the bathroom, both he and Carol were carrying their laptops giggling like mad. Daryl locked the door. One bonus of Merle being deaf was he couldn't hear them laughing.

"I'm going to get you!" Digby's character said on the screen, "You have to come out of the bathroom some time!" 

*************************************

Andrea watched as friend after friend of Merle's come on screen to see what was going on. Merle was ignoring them all and texting her on his phone instead now. 

 _"McKenna's asleep, would you want to come over for a coffee or something?"_ Andrea text him.

_"You sure? Really sure. Give me twenty minutes in case Autumns still awake. I'll text you."_

_"Sounds good!"_

Merle knew that Autumn was already asleep now he just had to get his brother out of the bathroom so he could take a shower and change his clothes before going over to Andrea's.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

To pay his brother back he gave him the fingers and told him to watch his daughter for him. He took the keys for Daryl's Harley off the key rack. Pulled on his leather jacket, shoved his phone in his pocket and headed off the few blocks to Andrea's place. He pulled up out front a beat up appartment building and parked. He text her to say he was outside and climbed the stairs until he found the number he was looking for.

He stood there of a minute just breathing and freaking out. He never been on a date or out with a girl since his accident. Hell he didn't even know if he knocked if she was calling come in until she would open the door. He was a bit scared about the whole thing. Just as he was standing there the door opened and Andrea was standing there smiling.

"Hi," She signed, she held the door wide in a welcoming manor to invite him inside. He looked her up and down as he stepped into her apartment. Bare feet, pj pants and a tank top. No bra he noted and for some reason she was covered in flour. "I had a .... shower, then baked... um fuck... this." She stumbled through the signs and then grabbed his hand. She pushed the door shut behind her. It clicked to lock, he didn't hear it but he followed his nose and her into the kitchen. She was making brownies by the looks of things.

"Brownies?" Merle signed.

"Yes," Andrea signed back, "I'm glad you came."

"Can I kiss you?" Merle asked her, she was just standing there and he wanted to, he used his voice and asked her. She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck to show him that she was ok with him kissing her. She pressed herself hard up against him. "McKenna?" Merle pushed her away a tiny bit so he could see her face.

"Sleeping... she's been asleep for an hour." Andrea said, she thought after about a signing it. "One hour asleep." She signed.

"You trying more words." Merle commented.

"I been looking on line, and I read through some of McKenna's school books. Word of the week is one." She said, she pulled out her phone, and a white board to communicate with Merle, he grinned when she started scribbling down stuff to ask him. They talked while she made coffee, she signed and spoke, wrote down some words but she was trying. Soon they were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table having a mixed up conversation. Andrea was smiling so Merle knew he was doing ok keeping up with the conversation.

"So you just come for your daughter? Your divorce all done now?" Merle finally asked, it what he wasn't asking that Andrea wanted to know. It was the un asked question of if she was seeing anyone. Andrea made the sign for over, finished and the end. She then pointed the finger to Merle.

"Nah... been no one for a very long time, I had a few girlfriends over the time but no one really that interested in a single dad with a kid." Merle told her, "And then I couldn't hear nothing and I didn't want to put myself out there."

"So you went online?" Andrea signed, she smiled at him, he nodded.

"Never cared much for the computer but Daryl said to give it a try because I wasn't ... I didn't know  how to sign yet and I was getting depressed, stuck in my own head, you know?" Merle told her, her eyes went to his, "Met you the first night... been chatting to you ever since, met some others too who talked about cars and stuff. But I kinda already had a thing for ya online."

"I know... I have a thing for you too. I felt guilty about going on a play date with you." Andrea signed, she wrote it down, "I like you." she signed to him.

"I like you... so what now?" Merle asked her, Andrea just shrugged and moved to get the brownies out of the oven. She cut it up and put it on a plate. She indicated for him to follow her through to the lounge. He thought he was going through to the lounge but he found himself in what was the lounge but also was Andrea's bedroom. He quickly realized it was a one bedroom apartment. The fairy lights down the small hall showing the way to the bathroom was clear the little girl had the bedroom. Andrea went into the hall to shut the door to McKenna's bedroom so they didn't wake her.

"Sorry, I don't have a ... just the bed." Andrea signed and pointed to her bed. Merle stood with a coffee and a plate of brownies. He looked across to Andrea who was turning on the tv waiting for Merle to either sit down on the bed or chose somewhere to park himself. She was embarrassed that she actually didn't own a chair. "I can get get a chair from the kitchen if you don't want to sit on the bed?" She asked him.

"I'm good." Merle sat on the edge of the bed staring at the tv. Andrea flick on the subtitles. She put her coffee on the night stand and crawled right up onto the bed and made herself comfortable against the headboards. She nudged him with her foot, he glanced over at her, she indicated to the space beside her. He put the food and his drink beside hers on the night stand and moved up the bed to cuddle beside her. 

She crawled across and turned the main lights off. He sat in the dark for a moment with the light from the tv flicking, he reached across to turn on her side lamp. "I need to see you." He told her, she nodded and bravely pulled on the side of his leather jacket pulling him towards her so he had no choice but to roll onto her and kiss her. It was a hard choice to make, he had no worries about making it. He really liked her a lot.

"I need you to do something for me," He pulled back from kissing her. She nodded, "If I'm doing something you don't want me to do. You will let me know?"

Andrea nodded and tapped his shoulder three times, he nodded and he moved back between her thighs to kiss her some more. Andrea moved around a little bit on the bed to free her arms so she could try get him out of his jacket. He pulled back and shrugged it off his broad shoulders. He dropped it onto the floor and signed "Are you ok?" Andrea nodded and grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards him. His mouth moved slowly down her jaw towards her neck, he pulled back and swore. 

He pulled right back off her so he was sitting back on his heels looking at her. He reached behind him to pull out his phone that was vibrating in his back pocket. No one would text him this time of night except Daryl. It was a call, he tapped answer, and handed the phone to Andrea to talk. Andrea tried to sign with one hand. She signed Autumn, Merle moved off the bed to pull his jacket on.

"Autumn's sick, running a fever and has vomited," Andrea wrote down on the white board she had beside her bed. 

Merle leaned over the bed to kiss Andrea, he didn't need to say anything, she knew he would go home to his little girl. "I'll text you. Lock the door behind me, tomorrow, I'm gonna put better locks on that door," He kissed her again at the door and then he was gone. Andrea locked the door and opened McKenna's door and thought back over the make out session she had just had with Merle. He was so hot and he was a good daddy, he could of gotten laid tonight but the moment he got a call about his daughter he didn't even try to get Daryl to look after her, he was going home no matter what. She looked forward to seeing him tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Merle spent the next day with Autumn holding her hair while she vomited then helped her wash her hair when she did get puke into it. Something he never thought he would ever be good at doing little girls hair. He had to learn quickly by the time she was three her hair was getting longer and he had to deal with hair braids and ponytails. Youtube had been his friend. He and Daryl could both do hair better than they ever wanted to admit too. 

He favourite hair style was one where he pulled all her hair into a high pony tail and made his daughter spin on the spot until it all twisted on itself and he wrapped a hair tie around it a few times. That was his sneaky hair style that Daryl couldn't do and he never ever told him that he had Autumn spin to get it right. He told Autumn it was a daddy only style that people that were not daddy's were not allowed to know the secret. Autumn never told him because she liked it when her daddy teased her uncle.

He was doing the hair that way today. They were also going to the swimming pool. He'd promised Autumn a daddy date weeks ago and they finally were doing it. She hadn't been sick for five days and she was feeling great. He was kinda worried about taking her somewhere where he wouldn't be able to hear her and if the pool was crowded so he told Daryl he had to come also.

He'd seen Andrea twice since the night he left her. Once he showed up at her place with new locks and keys for her door and the second time he met her for coffee at a cafe which turned out to be a big fail. It had left him embarrassed and Andrea confused and he stood up, put money on the table and run out of the cafe. Something so simple as trying to order a coffee and a meal had him stressed out. He wanted to do something quite normal but he really wasn't up to it right now and Andrea's signing wasn't up to speed. Merle's lip reading was terrible and he ended up with a meal he didn't want or order. He'd taken one look at Andrea and she tried to apologize for the mistake and he just got upset about himself and said he was sorry and raced out.

He didn't leave her there because he had brought her in his car. She found him standing by the drivers side door brooding and smoking.

"I'm sorry," she signed, "I'm not good at signing," she tried to tell him.

He just nodded and walked her around the car, held the door open and drove her back home. Both girls were back at school, they had hours to kill before they were due to be picked up so she tried to invite him up to her place for lunch. He shook his head and said he had to do some work because he didn't do much why Autumn was sick. She looked a bit bewildered about it and why he didn't want to but she decided to leave it and just smile. He had to work it all out himself.

Merle was feeling embarrassed and stupid for not being able to get his point accross at the cafe. He should have typed it in his phone and shown the waitress. That's what Carol told him to do when he was asking her about going to a cafe for the first time that wasn't his kid, or Daryl and his girlfriend. They all helped him order. Andrea didn't know that she had to help. she let him order and didn't correct the order when the waitress got it wrong. She thought Merle had it under control. He told her he had it under control when clearly he didnt.

He was just so god damn proud with everything insisting he was fine when he was out of his depth, he should have suggested doing something that he knew he could do. Maybe he should have gone with Carol's suggestion of getting some takeaway coffees and lunch from the garage and going out onto their back deck and having lunch there. Nice, simple and understated. Why didn't he do that. Probably because he thought everything would be ok, and he would be fine.

"Ok then, are you .... M.A.D?" Andrea finger spelt.

"At myself. My pride took a hit," Merle told her. He signed it, "Not mad at you."

Andrea nodded and leaned over to give him a simple kiss to the lips. "Farmtown? Can you come over?" she signed.

"No. Daryl got suckered into a chick movie tonight and I have no sitter, and tomorrow I promised Autumn a daddy date." He told her.

"Ok, my doors open for you any time, maybe one night Autumn could come for a sleep over with you?" Andrea typed into her phone, she turned the screen so he could see it. He wasn't sure if he wanted Autumn knowing yet. They hadn't any real commitment to each other. He didn't even know if they were dating.

"Maybe, I'll text you," He pulled her close and threaded his fingers through her hair for a deeper kiss.

She nodded goodbye as she slipped out of the car to go inside her place.

And now here he was making his daughter spin so he could top knot her hair and he had his swimming trunks on and a tee shirt a bag of clothes for them to wear after. Autumn was prancing around in a swim suit that he didn't approve of even though she was only little. Carol had insisted that a pair of boy leg swim shorts and a tank top swim suit was perfect for her. He didn't know why she couldn't just wear the wetsuit he used to put her in. Carol told him that he should be thankful that she was helping him and left with her father and uncle Autumn would be dressed in combat boots and overalls her whole life. 

Since Daryl started banging the baby sitter she certainly weaseled her way into their lives insisting that Merle let her pick out some clothes for Autumn and maybe they should buy her some clothes from the girl section, a dress even. In the end Carol had got her own way and taken the little girl shopping. They both shopped till they dropped, Daryl and Merle dropped before Autumn and Carol did. His daughter adored his brothers girlfriend even though he loved to give Daryl shit about shagging the baby sitter like it was some joke. They were a thing way before they even knew they were a thing, sneaking around thinking no one knew, everyone knew because they were not as quiet in the bedrooms as they thought they were.

Now they were in the swimming pool with Autumn, it was a bit much for her having three adults watching her, Carol had come also. Merle knew that Daryl dragged her along so she could take her into the girls changing rooms after. Both of them hated going in the tiny parents changing rooms where everything was so closed in and they had to do strange dances around each other protecting their modesty while trying to shower and dress. So they played with her and were having a great time when Carol nudged Merle and signed three o'clock. Merle looked around and spotted Andrea coming into the swimming pool on the other side. She had spotted them before they spotted her. 

Merle could see his brother's mouth moving but he wasn't signing, he wasn't really paying attention but was too busy staring along with many other men in the pool at Andrea as she was stepping into the pool. In a freaken bikini, Merle hadn't seen a bikini that was so modest but so sexy in a long time. she had tight fitting boy leg bottoms on and a halter bikini top on. What caught his eye was the impressive tattoo she had running down her side and onto her stomach and back. A Phoenix with the words, 'Never give up,' weaved around it. He wondered about it, he liked it, he like her more than he should for only knowing her a short time.She was smoking hot in a mysterious way. He could see a few younger guys heading her way and he decided he better get over there fast and try claim her.

He didn't have to worry too much because his daughter was moving in the water towards them. Merle picked her up before it went over her head and headed over to the blonde beauty with his daughter on his hip.

"Hi," he said, Andrea smiled she couldn't sign because McKenna chose that moment to wrap her arms around her like a spider monkey instead she leaned over and kissed him hello back, Merle was grinning like a damn fool because she basically told all the other guys she was taken by him. The girls were talking and signing to each other. Merle grabbed Andrea's hand under the water and towed her and McKenna behind him to go meet Carol. 

"Hi, I'm Carol, now did Merle invite you to our movie night tonight? Bring a overnight bag and a change of clothes because we have six movies all with subtext on it. Right Merle?" Carol said quickly, she signed something different to Merle. 'You owe me.'

"Sounds great, what should I bring?"

"Anything," Carol said, Daryl signed 'condoms,' and was laughing his head off at his girlfriend setting Merle up on a date. Then he moaned because he knew it would be chick flicks. Merle narrowed his eyes trying to keep up with the conversation because he saw the sing for condoms and sleep over and he banged on the water and asked what was happening. Carol just signed "Sleep over. Lets swim with the kids now."

They spent the next few hours with the girls making them tired. Merle and Andrea were sitting at the edge of the pool watching Daryl and Carol tow the little girls around in the water. They were holding hands and then Merle reached out and touched her side at the words. Andrea signed. "Long story." She leaned into him. "I'll write it for you," he nodded and went back to watching what was happening with the girls.

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

"Hi, come in, come in," Carol and Autumn greeted Andrea and McKenna at the front door. Andrea had an overnight bag and a bag of snacks even though Merle told her he didn't want her to bring anything after he worked out what Daryl and Carol had done. 

"We arn't too late are we?" Andrea asked. They were running a little bit late for the five pm kick off bbq but they were here now. Carol didn't tell her that Merle had been in to check the clock five times in the past ten minutes but he denied he was checking the time to see if they had arrived yet. Autumn grabbed at McKenna's hand to show her the pull out bed in her room. She was signing explaining that her daddy slept in it sometimes when uncle Daryl went on sleep overs. Andrea could hear all that information.

"He sleeps in Autumns room?" Andrea asked Carol.

Carol was leading the way to the big farm style kitchen, she showed Andrea just to shove her bag anywhere. Andrea could see the guys out the back with the bbq going and they were drinking with a beer in their hand and they were cooking something on the fire.

"Sometimes, if she's sick or if Daryl's away because he worries about her getting up and doing stuff and he wouldn't know she was awake." Carol looked out the window and tapped on the glass. Daryl turned around, she waved and pointed to Andrea. Daryl nudged his brother who saw her in the kitchen. Merle started coming inside to greet her. Carol turned and looked at Andrea, "He's been through a lot, don't hurt him... I can be your best friend or your worst nightmare, be honest with him if you can't cope with his hearing loss don't lead him on, don't do it. He's a nice guy and the best daddy, ok?"

"Consider me warned, I've liked him for a long time... even before I met him." Andrea told her, "I like him a lot, I'm not going to hurt him on purpose but its going to be hard. I've McKenna who needs to come first and I'm not going to jump in boots and all, I want to take it slow."

"I've been watching Autumn since she was six days old. Merle hired me as a nanny, I love him and Autumn."

"You and Daryl been together long?"

"As long as I've been Autumn's nanny, even though he won't admit it... they are a bit slow off the commitment bus. Daryl has these freak outs where he gets scared about getting tied down then he runs off hunting for a few days. Then he comes back and we are fine for a few months.... then we hit the repeat button." Carol shrugged. "They are hard to work out these men."

"Well we might have to sit down and talk about it in a few weeks if I need any advice." 

"We should go out anyway. It would be nice to have a new friend." Carol offered a smile, "I need a friend who's had a baby,"

"oh... really?" Andrea glanced down at Carol's flat stomach.

"Early days, we just found out." Carol smiled, "Daryl's still in that denial stage."

"Denial? He doesn't want?.... He not keen." Andrea asked.

"He is... just they both had a hard time of it when they were kids. Merle will tell you. He's trying really really hard to be a good man, a good dad for Autumn, before he had her.... wild.... he was one of those bad boys your mom warned you about."

"I think I know the type... he's very handsome," Andrea commented, she wanted to add sexy and climb him like a tree but she refrained. Carol seemed to know a great deal about the men and she liked her. She even liked that she tried to warn her not to hurt Merle. She smiled when she saw Merle coming in the door to greet her. Andrea signed 'hi handsome,' and she gave him a wink. He looked at her hands and he held his up in question. Andrea signed, 'I'm trying,'. Merle nodded and signed back 'thankyou.' 

"I got something for you," Andrea held out a envelope and passed it to him. "Read it later," she had been practicing sign language that was why they were running late. Merle took the letter and put it in his back pocket and bent over to pick up her bag. He headed out of the kitchen down the hall. Andrea followed him and headed into the bedroom on the right. Autumn's bedroom must have been down the hall because she could hear little girl giggles coming out of the room. Merle put her bag on the king size bed.

"Sleep here," he told her, "I can sleep on the couch."

"You don't have to we can share." Andrea told him, she gestured that they could both share it.

"If I share a bed with you, we are not going to be sleeping." He told her, he stepped towards her and gave her a quick kiss. "I don't want to put pressure on you or nothing."

Andrea sat down on the bed and bounced. She head her hand out so he could step towards her and he stepped between her legs. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his flat stomach. They stayed like that for some time before he pulled away to look at her face. 

"We will see how things go. You let me know if you want to share." He told her.

"Ok." she signed. Two little girls come running in the room. Autumn jumped right up on the bed and encouraged McKenna to do the same as they both bounced around the bed and room. Merle didn't mind he just watched them jumping about. 

"Lets go get dinner. You guys break my bed I'm going to sleep in yours." He signed and spoke, both girls giggled and run off down the hall. "We could sell them." he suggested to Andrea. She pulled him towards her by his belt buckle and kissed him again. She could almost kiss this man forever there was something about Merle Dixon that she just couldn't explain, she was so attracted to him she couldn't help but acting on all her feelings.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Merle had sat through 'Tinker Bell' more times than he could remember. He really didn't need closed captions to keep up, or his daughter dancing across the room reacting all the scenes that she thought he might have missed while he blinked or slightly moved. He just really wanted to get her and McKenna wrapped up in bed so he could possibly get her mom wrapped up on his knee or in his arms. He just wanted them to calm the fuck down while he was trying to read her a story at bed time, instead of jumping about on her bed pretending to be 'Tinker Bell'.

"For the love of God... get into bed," He growled her. He could tell she was giggling, McKenna was giggling from the pull out bed on the floor. "Go to sleep... now." He turned off the lights and the solar powered Christmas lights turned on. Her room lit up with soft glows. The lights were put up around the house for him at night time because he couldn't hear anything and the solar powered ones meant that he didn't have to do anything to remember to turn them on. The solar bit was stuck to a window and then when night came, and they turned off the lights they just went on. He signed goodnight to both the little girls and walked out to the lounge.

Both Carol and Andrea were sitting at the kitchen table waiting for his return. Andrea had a glass of wine and Carol a glass of juice. 

"All good?" Carol signed.

"No they both think they are fairies and will be flying around the room in a minute thinking we don't know what they are doing." Merle told them. Andrea laughed and knew that's what they were doing because even though Merle couldn't hear them, Carol and Andrea could hear them. "At least it wasn't 'Frozen' again."

"You want to watch another movie?" Andrea signed. Merle was cracking open a bottle of beer while watching her hands. He had plenty of other ideas of what they could be doing but right now if he had to sit through a chick flick he would. 

"Sure." he signed back. "Be back in a few." He headed out the back door to find his brother to see if he could go settle the girls down so Andrea wouldn't pack up McKenna and go home. 

"Just bribe them." He signed to his brother. Daryl took pity on Merle and nodded he went inside and promise the girls a trip to McDonald's for breakfast if they closed their eyes and settled down to sleep. He stood there for five minutes as they shut their eyes and fell to sleep then he went out to announce that they were both sound asleep.

"See you will make a really good daddy." Carol told him. Daryl glanced at her and made a big M sign, "You bribed them?"

"Yes." He signed to them all. "They are asleep right now."

"Thank god... now we can watch something that's not Tinker Bell and that Peter Pan." Andrea signed to them all. She grabbed the white board and wrote a name of a movie on it. The men both groaned but Carol looked happy about it. Merle glanced at Andrea and she did look worried that he might not want to watch, he gave her a half smile and signed it was fine, not to worry. He knew her ex had tried to control everything and he wasn't like that. She looked reassured, and she knew that she had spilled her guts night after night online to him for the past year.

She did notice that he managed to plant himself right in the middle of their couch so neither Daryl or Carol could sit with him and Andrea only choice to go sit was right beside him. He did a quick high school move by yawning and putting his arm around her in an exaggerated movement. Carol giggled seeing it. Andrea just went with it. She tucked her legs up under her and leaned right onto his broad chest. They couldn't communicate in this position but both didn't need too. He was stroking her back and she had her hand on his leg.

He half moved right over to the edge of the couch and pulled her with him so she could put her head in his lap. He had his fingers in her hair playing with it and they both settled down to watch. When it was over Daryl looked over at them on the couch and signed they were off to bed and that Merle should lock the house up. Merle nodded and Andrea rolled over onto her back to look at Merle.

"What now?" She signed.

"You tired?" he asked her, she nodded and moved off him and took his hand so he had no misunderstanding that she wanted him to come with her to the bedroom. She went along for the walk about to lock the doors and they checked the girls and went into his bedroom. Andrea could hear giggles coming down the hall from Carol but Merle had no idea that that was happening.

He towed her into the bathroom and turned the shower on. He pulled her by the belt on her jeans towards him and kissed her. He quickly had her pressed up against the wall kissing her mouth and slowly making his way down her neck. Her arms looped over his shoulder to hold him close to her. She run her hands up and down his back and over his butt. He rubbed himself against her to create some sort of friction on his pants to relieve some pressure.

He was comfortable with her, even though he'd only physically known her for a few days. They had been talking about personal stuff and joking about online for over a year. He trusted her and she trusted him. She didn't have a problem with his deafness and he was excited to see she was trying hard to learn fast. He kissed her mouth again and stepped away from her.

He just stripped in front of her. Andrea had an eyeful of Merle from top to bottom and she was happy with what she saw. She gave him a half smile because he wasn't shy at all. 

"Come?" he asked her. He indicated to the steamy shower. The bathroom quickly filled up with steam. He stepped towards her. He toyed with the bottom of her top. "Use the signals right... if I do something you don't want... you let me know."

"I will," she signed, she pulled the bottom of her top up over her head. His hands were behind her uncliping her bra and freeing her breasts. 

"Christ." Merle mumbled seeing them for the first time. He moved his hand and thumbed a nipple. He began to fumble with the buttons on her jeans and get them off her. They managed to get them off in record time. She stared at his mouth for a moment and they kissed. He walked backwards into his shower with her. It was  interesting modern bathroom. Just a huge shower room with a sink and toilet. A curtain run around separating the shower from the rest of the room. They kissed and stroked each other for a long time. He wanted to be inside her but they didn't have anything so he grinded himself up against her for a short while. He brought Andrea over the edge with his hand. She slumped against him kissing his neck. He came over her stomach. They held each other in the shower for some time after standing there with their arm's around each other.

They stepped out of the shower and were kissing getting dry Merle remembered that he didn't have any protection in his room either. He had a thought though. Their shop attached to the garage had condoms in stock. All he had to do was duck out the back door and across to the shop and get some. No one would know. He pulled on a pair of jean's over his bare arse. Andrea signed asking him what he was doing. He just said, "Getting condoms. Be right back." Andrea nodded.

Merle headed out the back door and used his keys to let himself into the back way of the shop. He forgot to key in the alarm code and unknown to him the alarm was sounding. He'd tripped the emergency police response. Merle blissfully unaware that the police were coming and the alarm was sounding in the house was pulling boxes of condoms off the shelf behind the counter looking to see which condoms he wanted to use or to try.....

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Andrea stuck her head out of Merle's bedroom door. Daryl come running down the hall pulling on his pants. 

"Where's Merle?" He asked her as he ran past.

"Um... that might be him." Andrea said. Lights were flashing and the noise was almost unbearable.

"Uncle Daryl... is that Daddy?" Autumn come to her bedroom door. McKenna was sleeping right through all the noise. She wasn't going to have a broken sleep.

"Yes honey bunny I'll turn it off. Go give Carol a cuddle and get back to bed." Daryl patted her on the head as he went past. "You better come Andrea."

Andrea followed him out to go towards the garage next door.

#################################################

"Do we really have to go?" Shane Walsh banged his head back on his head rest, "You know its going to be Merle Dixon making himself a milkshake or some shit!"

"It could be a real break in." Rick turned on his lights for the police car, they didn't use sirens but they speed off. "But I'm in the mood for a milk shake, I wonder if he will make us one?"

"If they don't get a new system so he can see he hasn't decoded the alarm I'm going to buy one myself!" Shane groaned.

They couldn't count how many times they had been to the Dixon garage in the past year since Merle lost his hearing. He was a good friend to both of them but they were getting tired of seeing him at some ungodly hour of the night or morning because he decided to go do something at the garage. They started making bets about what he would be doing when they got there.

"Making a sandwich?" Said Shane.

"Ice creams." Suggested Rick.

"Frozen meals?"

"Chocolate?" thought Shane.

"Smokes? Does he smoke?"

"Nah  not since he had Autumn." Shane told him.

Rick pulled in behind the garage just in time to see Daryl coming from the house with a blond following him. Shane looked her up and down wondering who she was.

"Bloody Merle!" Daryl mumbled, "Andrea, Shane and Rick, local police that come out here at least once a week to see Merle because he forgets to turn the bloody noise off." Daryl used his keys to get the back door open. He keyed in the code and silence dropped over the neighborhood. They all started looking for Merle. They found him behind the counter with a display of condoms laid out in front of him. He was reading the back of a pack of condoms and had a tube of lube hanging out his back pocket because they sold every thing there.

They all walked around the counter, Daryl didn't want to give him a real fright. They had no choice, Merle looked up seeing them all standing there. He glanced at Andrea and shoved the box in his pocket.

"I forgot to turn the alarm off again didn't I?" He asked them.

"Yes you did, tomorrow we get it fixed." Daryl signed.

"Sorry guys. Sorry Andrea, did I wake Autumn again?" He asked them, he moved towards the door the intention was clear he was going to check on his daughter. He patted Shane and Rick on the arm as he left. "Sorry I promise I won't do it again." He grabbed Andrea's hand to leave.

"Wait wait wait." Rick signed, "You have a girlfriend now and you are getting condoms.... what did I miss?" Rick didn't know the sign for condoms so he pointed to the packets spread everywhere.

"Talk tomorrow." Merle told them, he was embarrassed caught again with the alarm and with condoms but he also wanted to check Autumn because she didn't like the noise. They were probably lucky that McKenna would sleep right through the alarm. Shane, Rick and Daryl all stood watching him leave with Andrea and started talking between themselves. Daryl blabbed quickly that they met online and Andrea was new in town. Both Shane and Rick got called away again and Daryl went home to check all was well in the house again. 

When he checked the sleeping little girls they were both sound asleep again. He could hear giggles coming from Merle's bedroom and he wished for a moment he didn't have to listen to his brothers moans and groans either.

"Everything ok?" Carol come out to the hall to check up on him.

"Fine, he was getting condoms," Daryl told her, he reached out to touch her, touch her belly. "I'm sorry I've been stand offish about the baby, I'm just.... I don't know if I'll be good at it."

"You are fantastic with Autumn you are going to be great at it." Carol wrapped her arms around his neck. "And if we all have to live together we all live together ok. Whatever you and Merle want."

"Does that mean you are going to move in with me?"

"Yes it does, I will, I give notice tomorrow... but right now, you can try convince me I don't need to bring my couch with me." Carol teased him, her couch was ugly, they both knew it wouldn't be coming with her.

"I'll do my best." He bent his head and kissed her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've time jumped you all two months. also the italics are sign language talking.

Two months Andrea and Merle were officially dating, they met up every other day and the following weekend Andrea come to stay over at Daryl's place again. She was hooked, Merle was hooked. The sex was amazing and Merle had pride in his stride. They were crazy head over heels into each other like no one's business. Daryl was amazed that Merle finally was walking around with a spring in his step again. He'd had his confidence back and was even dealing with customers again. He had his own way of doing it. He spoke and gave the client a small white board to write on to communicate with him. It was pretty easy and he had Daryl nearby as back up.

Andrea text Merle the following Saturday morning to ask him if he knew anything about plumbing because her bath wouldn't turn off and the water running into the bath was driving her crazy. He asked her to tell the landlord. She told him that the landlord didn't want to know and told her it was her problem and she had to get it sorted herself and pay for it herself. She then told him she told the landlord to go fuck himself and now they were getting evicted.

Merle read the text that said they were evicted and went and showed Daryl. Daryl looked at the text and signed something to Merle that he hadn't really thought of.

_Get them to stay at your house. Rent it to her._

_Won't that be moving to fast?_

_No because you will still be with me.... unless._

_Its too soon and what if things don't work out?_

_If they don't work out.... you still going to be her friend right?_

_Course... we were friends before... but now we ... well you know._

_Offer it to her, she don't have much choice, not alot to rent around here that that dick of a landlord owns._

_Ok... help me move her?_

_Ask her first, but I will come to her house at three, Carol hasn't given notice on her place yet so she could go there if she didn't want to go to yours._

_She can have mine free, paid my mortage._

_Ask her Merle, go and ask her now then start packing her to move into yours or into Carol's ok. We will both come, I'll bring Autumn at three._

Merle and Daryl signed back and forward between each other really quickly. Merle had his own home which was sitting empty a block away. He hoped she would say yes to everything.

 

Andreaheard a knock at the door. She knew it was him because he always knocked the same way so she would know to open it and not to just call out. He had a Asian guy with him. The other guy had a stack of flat boxes to be folded up. He just stood there waiting to see what was going to happen next.

"Glenn, that's Andrea... he's gonna help us pack ya shit up." He told her, he come in and kissed her. "Where's mini me?" 

"She is drawing in her room." She signed.

"Got a suggestion... My house... its empty, its pretty new, you can rent it... its just sitting there?" He said, Andrea looked at him trying to figure out what to say, she didn't know if he was asking to move in together or what.

She stepped back from him. She didn't know all the signs she wanted. She pointed to her phone to ask him if he would be ok with her texting him. He nodded.

_Don't you need your house for you and Autumn?_

Merle just shrugged when he read it

_But you might want to move back in._

"So I will move back in with you... unless you don't want that." Merle just said.

_Do you want that?_

_"_ Daryl's got a kid on the way, she's moving in so eventually we will move out but hell you can live there for as long as you want. If you wanna. OR ...." Merle Dixon actually blushed.

_I really need to talk to you about something else... don't be mad ok._

_What? Whats going on?_

_Just that...._

_yes_

_You are a kind man Merle Dixon._

_Whats going on tell me._

Merle looked behind her onto the kitchen bench, something caught his eye. Fuck!

_Is it positive?_

_I haven't taken it yet...._

_Lets see then, go do it then we figure it out ok..._

_Figure it out._

_If you are you move into my place if you are not you can choose if its mine or Carol's old apartment._

_I can choose?_ Andrea looked amused.

_Yeah... if you are not you can choose... if you are you stay at mine, its free and its gotta yard and the girls will have a room each._

_Guess we better take this test then._

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading more coming your way soon. But its time to finish up this little fic. Stretching my legs on a little bit of Andrea and Merle.

Merle was signing like crazy trying to find out what the test said. Andrea was on the other side of the door, he couldn't hear her even if she was talking. She was sitting on the side of the bath with her head in her hands. Pregnant and she'd only been with the father a short time. She didn't even know if he wanted it or not, he really didn't indicate one way or the other when he told her to go take the test. 

She could hear him on the other side of the door, she heard it creak open and he come in. "Tell me."

She held out the test, he stepped forward and took it. He looked at it and reached out to take the box and Andrea signed for him.

_Yes, its positive._

_You sure?_

_Yes... I'm sorry._

_Why?_

_Because... because all this is so new... us._

_I... I... don't know what you want me to say... I'm not upset_

_Your not? But...._

_You don't want it?_

_Merle... I do, its just a bit of a shock and we have to move... today._

Merle moved close to her, pulled her up to her feet and leaned in to kiss her. "It'll be ok, we will be ok. You me, the girls, it will work out if you want to. If you want to move in with me. Have this baby with me. We will sort it out. Have a baby monitor with flashing lights and stuff."

Andrea leaned into him, not believing she let herself get into this sweet mess with this man, the man from farm town. 

_Ok... ok, lets do it. But are you really really sure?_

_I am, I promise, but can we not tell anyone yet?_

_Why?_

_Because I want only us to know... like we can talk about it and settle in together before telling people, other wise they will think that's the only reason we are moving in together._

_Isn't it?_

_No... its because I need you to send me a fishing boat on farm town._

_Merle be serious. I can't believe you are talking about fishing boats.  Come on lets tell McKenna we are moving in with you and Autumn I'm sure she will be upset about it._

_Yeah I think Autumn will be heart broken._

He stopped her before she went any further out of the room and pulled her in for a deep kiss. "You changed my world you know that right?"

 _I love you_ Andrea told him, he leaned in and kissed her again.


End file.
